Process of separating solids from liquids.



W. A. HENDRYL PROCESS OF SEPARATING SOLIDS PROM LIQUIDS.

APPLICATION FILED JUNE 14, 1909.

Patented June 7, 1910.

Q vitmmua WARM.

STATES An'r Eric.

WILBU R ALSONZHENDRYX, or DENVER, COLORADO.

PROCESS OF SEPARATING SOLIDS FROM LIQUIDS.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented June '7, 1910.

Application filed. June 14, 1909. Serial No. 502,168.

I process for the treatment of ores with cyanid or other solutions, and broadly to a process for separating solids from the liquids in which they may be suspended or with which they are associated. I v

For a full understanding of my invention reference is made to the accompanying drawing, wherein the figure is a central vertical sectional view of apreferred form of the device.

Referring to the drawing, 1 indicates a round tank having a converging bottom. For the purposes of this device the tank may be round, or square, or rectangular or of any desired shape. An inverted frustum of a cone or pyramid may be used with good results.

Extending across the top of the tank are beams 3, 4, and secured to these beams are straps 5, 6, which carry a centrally arranged filling tube 2. Surrounding this tube 2 are a number of filter cells 8, which maybe radially arranged if the tank is circular in form, these filter cells being supported by an annular ring 13, which is hung by rods 7 from the. beams 3, 4. Inlet pipes 9, connected to the supply main 10, and outlet pipes 11, for the cells pass through and are secured to the walls of the tank, these pipes affprding additional support for the filter ce s.

12, 12 are valves for the outlet pipes 11;

I prefer to use filter cells of the kind shown in my Patent No. 885,047, granted April 21, 1908, and the representation here is accordlngly more or less diagrammatic.

17, 17, are decanting cocks arranged at suitable heights on the tank.

35 is a deflecting cone or plate secured to the tube 2, and is designed to break the force of the stream of pulp as it is run into the tank. The tank itself is supported on a series of posts or standards 18, and extending downwardly from the circular or prismatic body-portion of the tank is a converging hopper 40. Secured to the openend of the hopper by a flange 36 is an L-shaped tube 19. A shaft 20, mounted in bearings 21, passes through a stufling-box 24 into the horizontal portion of the tube 19. This shaft 20 is driven by a suitably operated sprocket-wheel 22, and has thrust collars 23 to prevent longitudinal movement. Within the tube 19, the shaft has secured to it a series of propeller blades-25, spaced apart by spacing rings 26, which blades may be considered as continuations of the conveyer screw 27 also secured to the shaft 20. These blades and the screw may be fastened to the shaft in any desired manner, as by squaring the shaft and providing the hubs which carry the blades and screw with a similarly shaped opening. A set collar or nut 28 is fitted on the squared end of the shaft. Passing through slots in the bottom of the tube 1.9 are ribs or flukes 34, extending upwardly between the blades 25, for the purpose of preventing rotation of the mass of pulp or tailings as it is being delivered through the tube 19.

Secured to the end of the tube is a valve mechanism comprising a curved valve-plate 29, arranged to slide on a correspondingly curved guide plate 30, the valve plate 29 being held up to its seatby a spring 32 in the head 31, which is mounted on pivots 39 secured to the pipe 19. 33 is a suitablehandle for operating the valve.

The manner in which my invention is operated depends upon the class of material to be handled. It is useful in metallurgical plantssuch as concentrating mills, cyanld mills, and in the filtration of solutions in treatment of ores.

The flow of water and crushed ore, as in concentration plants may thickened solids are removed by the mechanism at the bottom of the tank. In this case the water is returned for re-use. In cyanid mills my invent-ion may be used to separate the water from the refuse pulp or tailings in order to save the water or solution for re-use or for the valuable chemicals -in the solution, or it may be used to dewater the tailings in order to stack them, thereby keeping the same outof creeks whose waters are-used for irrigation or domestic purposes. Poisonous chemicals, such as cyanid, are kept out of rivers and creeks, thereby preand other animals.

in cyanid mills is as follows: Crushed ore together with water or solution is run into the tank through the tube .2. The. ore isallowedto settle in the bottom of the tank I while the liquid rises and passes ofl" through the decanting cocks 17 or filter cells 8, a considerable amount'of settled solids being e tank in the-space beneath the cells to p event the water; or solids from running out. As soon as the tank contains sufiici'ent settled solids the valve 29 is opened and theshaft revolved slowly.'

The revolving sectionsof a screw. convey the solids onto the screw 27. The ribs or flukes guide the pulp and keep it from revolving around .with the sections. The

of the propeller blades 25, ribs 34, and screw 25 belt or in a car.

screw 27 conveys the pulp on out through the discharge valve 38.- As the solids settle in the convergingbottom of the tank they become more and more compacted and action 27 in forcmg the pulp through the partially opened valve, is to squeeze the moisture out of the solids and back up into the tank. This feature of preserving and recovering the liquids, while delivering the solids prac tically dewatered, is of particular importance in the treatment of materials in which the liquids ma themselves be valuable or contain valu bl; ingredients. The density of the pulp when discharged can be further regulated byopening the valve'p29 to a glrl'eater or less extent. When openedto its' ll extent, it permits free" passage of the material, while a smaller opening causes the pulp or tailings to be more closely compacted. The disohar ed solids thus obtained can be conveye away on a conveyer If the water or solution is clear enou h it may be decanted off over the top of e tank or through the decanting cocks 17, thefilter cells being omitted;

While I have shown the sections of a screw 25, ribs 34, and screw 27, I may use:

one continuous screw or several propellers attached to the shaft, the purpose of'thls mechanism being to convey the settled solids out of the tank while at "the-same time conveying .the' same under pressure, thereby discharging pulp containing a low percentage of molsture. v

In some instances, it may be necessary to lubricate the solids as they are being delivered through the tube 19. For this purpose I provide a valved-pipe 50, throu 'h which water, insmall quantities, may e introduced.

. While I havelshown a gate or valve at the delivery end of the tube 19 in order to regulate or control the pressure which the screw may exert to compact the solids, other .liqui'ds, which consists in expressed liquid to flow ba means capable of exerting a restraining liquids, which consists in permitting the solidsto settle beneath the liquid, whileso submerged expressing liquid from such settled solids, and returning the expressed liquid to the main body of liquid.

2. The process of separating solids from solids to settle beneath the liquid, while so submergedexpressing liquid from such settled sol1ds,f'returning the ex ressed-liquid to the main bod of liquid an simultaneously discharging th has been expressed.

' 3. The process of liquids", which consists in collecting the solids beneath a body of liquid,'and subjecting the s olids'while ,so submerged to continuously applied pressure to express liquidtherefrom. 4:. The process of separating solids from liquids, which consists in collecting the solids beneath a body of liquid, subjecting the solids while so submerged to continuously applied pressure to express liquid therefrom, an simultaneously discharging the material from which the liquid has been expressed;

5. The process of'separating solids from liquids, which consists in collecting the solids beneath a body of liquid, subjecting the solids while so submerged to pressure to express liquid therefrom, and ermitting the ck through the uncompressed solid.

6. The process of separating solids from liquids, which consists in collecting the solids beneath a' body of liquid, removing the rmitting thev e solids from which the liquidseparating solids from supernatant'liquid byfiltration, and sub- 7. Therprocess of separating solids from liquids, which consists in collecting the solids beneath a body of li uid, removing the supernatant liquid'b ltration, subjecting the solids while so submerged to pressure to express liquid therefrom, and permitting the expressed liquid to flow back through the uncompressed solid.

jecting the solids while so submerged to pressure to express liquid therefrom;

8. The process of cyaniding-ores, which consists in agitating the ore in a cyanid solution, permitting the ore to settle beneath the solution, while so submerged expressing the solution from the ore, and returning the expressed solution to the main body of solution. 5

9. The process of cyaniding ores, which consists in agitating the ore in a cyanid solution, ermitting t e ore to settle beneath the so ut'lon, while so submerged expressingr thesolution from the ore, and ermitting the expressed solution to flow bac through the uncompressed ore.

10. The process of separating solids from liquids, which consists in collectmg the solids beneath a body of liquid, subjecting the solids while so submerged to pressure to express liquid therefrom, returning the expressed liquid to the main body of liquid and removing the supernatant liquid.

11. The process of separating solids from liquids, which consists in collecting the solids beneath a body of liquid, subjecting the solids While so submerged to pressure to express liquid therefrom, returning the expressed liquid to the main body of liquid and removing the supernatant liquid by filtration.

12. The process of separating solids from liquids, which consists in collecting the solids beneath a body of liquid, subjecting the solids while so submerged to continuously applied pressure to express liquid therefrom, 2

returning the expressed liquid to the main lloodydof liquid and removing the supernatant 13. The process of separating solids from liquids, WlllCll consists in collecting the solids beneath a body of liquid, subjecting the solids while so submerged to continuously applied pressure to express liquid therefrom, returning the expressedliquid to the main body of liquid and removing the supernatant liquid by filtration.

In testimony whereof, I aflix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

WILBUR ALSON HENDRYX.

Witnesses:

' N. P. LEONARD,

C. W. FOWLER. 

